In the field of toys and amusement devices, it is well known that dolls of various kinds have been made in the image of humans and animals for centuries. It is known that in ancient history, dolls were carved from stone and wood. More recently, dolls have been made from anything from corn husks, plastics, rags, or other available materials. Dolls have been made and used as personifications of humans and animals especially for children to play with in their developmental stages of life. Of late, a growing interest is to manufacture dolls which create as little risk to the child as possible. This concern is a result of safety hazards that have been the cause many serious and sometimes fatal injuries. However, in achieving this goal, it is also essential that the dolls retain the similarity of humans and animals. It is also a goal of the toy industry to create dolls which provide long-term amusement potential by providing various settings in which the dolls may be used.
Porcelain dolls and carved painted dolls have long been the most clearly representative of human or animal form and detail. However, these dolls are fragile and therefore create potential hazards to children in the event the doll is broken while the child is playing with the same. Because of their potential dangers, these dolls have been held more as keepsakes than as toys. More recently, dolls manufactured from rigid or semi-rigid plastics present similar concerns to those of older wooden dolls. Specifically, these dolls present potential hazards when a child is impacted if such a doll is thrown, or if the child is carrying the doll and falls. To overcome these hazards, many dolls have been manufactured from soft materials, but have facial features attached thereto. These features, due to their small size and removability, have presented problems with choking when they become detached from the doll and are accidentally swallowed. Soft sculpture dolls have otherwise been limited in the extent of facial expression due to their methods of manufacture.
It is well known that children play with dolls with many different media. Further, dolls are provided with many different means for storing and carrying dolls. Typical of the art are those dolls disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,543,278 G. K. Ackerman Sept. 24, 1985 4,853,994 P. S. Ekstein Aug. 8, 1989 4,874,340 A. R. Smallwood Oct. 17, 1989 4,993,987 H. L. Hull, et al. Feb. 19, 1991 5,009,626 M. M. Katz Apr. 23, 1991 5,118,318 R. J. Lorizio June 2, 1992 5,332,093 F. Littlepage July 26, 1994 5,340,348 E. J. Schroeder Aug. 23, 1994 5,344,356 D. A. Pizzelli, et al. Sept. 6, 1994 ______________________________________
Of these, Ackerman ('278) discloses a wall-mourned board for removably storing children's toys using conventional hook-and-loop fasteners. The board presents hazards due to its rigid construction in the event that it becomes detached from the wall. Further, one portion of the hook-and-loop fastener must be secured to any toy to be stored thereon. The board serves no other function than to hold the toys, it is not necessarily used as a theme for the toys, or as a medium for playing with the toys.
Ekstein ('994) discloses a pillow book having pockets provided on individual "pages" of the book. The pockets are provided for receiving character dolls used in telling the story portrayed in the pillow book. Only the portion of the story book that is opened may be used at any given time, as the remainder is closed within the book.
Smallwood ('340) provides a device similar to that disclosed by Ekstein ('994) with the exception that a stuffed toy is permanently affixed to the exterior of the story book. Clothing is removably secured to the toy and is placed within a pocket on the inside of the book when not secured to the toy.
Lorizio ('318) discloses a pillow cover which includes a pictorial representation of a character and provides storage for dolls in the form of pockets secured to the pillow cover via conventional hook-and-loop fasteners or snaps. Suction cups are carried by each doll for securement to a flat, smooth surface. The pillow cover serves both as a carrier for the dolls and as a medium for playing with the dolls. The background illustrated on the pillow cover is appropriately chosen to coordinate with the particular toys secured thereto. However, when used for its intended purpose of supporting a child's head while sleeping, the toys must be typically be removed from the pillow cover in order to reduce safety hazards or otherwise to aid in the comfort of the sleeping child.
Littlepage ('093) discloses a doll and storage container. The storage container may also be used as a carrying device. The storage container is provided with a plurality of pockets for carrying doll accessories and a hook-and-loop strap for securing the doll. The storage container is closed using hook-and-loop fasteners. The storage container is configured to simulate a mail receptacle, but is not otherwise used in playing with the doll.
Schroeder ('348) discloses a doll having a hook-and-loop fastener for releasably securing an object thereto. For example, an appropriately-sized toy basketball is releasably secured to the hand of a toy basketball player. The toy is stored in a box which is not provided for interactive play with the doll itself.
The device disclosed by Pizzelli, et al. ('356) is a storage unit having attachable holders. In similar fashion to the Ackerman ('278) device discussed above, the Pizzelli, et al., device is used to secure various items thereto, the items and the device not being necessarily related in theme. The '356 device is provided as an organizational device for storing items such as those associated with a person's hair (hair bows, combs, etc.).
Hull, et al. ('987), and Katz ('626) disclose methods for manufacturing dolls to emulate lifelike features. Hull, et al., teach the photographic application of a person's face on a fabric doll. Katz discloses a method for applying a three-dimensional lifelike representation of the head portion of a real life subject to a substrate structure of configuration and size matched to the real life subject. However, either of these methods presents a device or method for storing or carrying such dolls. Further, these devices rely upon a printed face on the dolls. Such do not disclose a method for embroidering a face onto a doll.
None of the prior art references disclose a device for storing the dolls while also providing a medium of interaction with the dolls and the child. Further, none of the prior art references teaches a device for storing a plurality of dolls in a manner that does not endanger a child while also not requiring storage space other than wall space.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a means for storing a plurality of dolls.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a storage device which may also be used as an interactive tool for playing with the dolls.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for carrying the dolls an a child's person when not being used in association with the storage device.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a storage device for storing the dolls which is further provided with a means for storing the carrying means provided for carrying the dolls on a child's person.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing dolls such that there is no danger presented to the child using the same.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a method of manufacturing soft sculpture dolls whereby realistic features are accomplished.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a method of manufacturing dolls whereby embroidery is used to emulate facial features and other features such as clothing and decorative items associated with conventional clothing.